Authors Note: Greetings, you lovely patient people. This next chapter was running a little long, so I decided to split it into two. Which means, the next part should be up soon, as oppose to the usual seven or eight year stretch that I usually place between updates. Thanks so much to everyone who is sticking through on this one!!

"Sanji-san?"

Sanji looked over and smiled at the young lady who appeared beside him.

"Yes, Cenna-chan?"

"I made this for you."

The nine-year old looked up at Sanji shyly though dark lashes, as she held out the paper for him to take. Sanji's smile grew as he looked at the well drawn picture. It was a beautifully detailed recreation of the lower beach. In the water, sat The Going Merry, exactly as it was anchored now, and him and his crew were drawn on the sand walking toward the village. It was no doubt the very first glimpse that Cenna had of The Straw Hat Pirates when the crew had arrived more than a week ago.

"This is absolutely beautiful, Cenna-chan. You are very talented."

Her face flushed a delightful shade, and she looked down modestly. Cenna was a quiet, private, young girl, who had only watched the arrival of the pirates from a careful distance for the first few days that they had been here. But, sure enough, the colorful antics of the crew quickly drew even her attention, and soon her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she ventured from her shell to meet them.

It had been a relatively quiet stay, and the people of this small secluded village had been more than kind to them once they realized that Luffy's crew weren't intending on raiding them for what little possessions they had. It was a nice break after being out at sea for so long, and they were able to replenish a good portion of their supplies.

Cenna smiled at him once more, before wandering off to a cluster of shady trees a short distance away. The girl had developed a bit of a crush on the blonde cook, and although she was far too young to attract his interest in that way, Sanji had been charmed at the development. Seeing a few pair of eyes follow the girl's movement across the square, the pirate knew that she was already garnishing attention from some of the local village boys. Not that any of them, in Sanji's mind, were good enough for her notice. No, Cenna-chan would have to have more selected taste than that if she wanted to find someone one day worthy of her.

"Do you ever think about having kids?"

Zoro had appeared at his shoulder, and although he was speaking to Sanji, his eyes were fixed elsewhere. Sanji wasn't sure if he was more startled by the question, or the fact that Zoro had suddenly started to speak to him again. It had been almost three weeks since that awful strange encounter in his kitchen, and since then, the two men had barely said more than two words to one another.

"Why would you ask me something like that?"

"I dunno. You seem to like them."

"What's not to like about them?"

Zoro looked uncomfortably at Cenna who was drawing peacefully under a shady tree.

"They're just . . . weird."

Sanji snorted.

"No, they're children. You're weird."

"So you want to have some, then."

Sanji had no idea why Zoro kept pressing the point. It was starting to piss him off.

"I honestly have no idea. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I really haven't given it much thought. There are other things that are more important to me right now."

"Like finding All Blue?"

Sanji looked up sharply, but found no traces of mockery on Zoro's face.

"Yeah, like that."

Zoro nodded, and Sanji felt something uncurl warm and loose inside his chest at the simplicity of such understanding.

"How about you, Seaweed Head? You ever think about the possibility of having a little cluster of ugly dim-witted prodigies underfoot?"

"Absolutely not. I'm going to be the best swordsman in the world. I can't have any kids."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Its just the way it is. Mihawk doesn't have any kids."

"Well, maybe you should go have some kids with Mihawk."

Zoro's body instantly tensed, and he looked away. Sanji suddenly remembered the whole reason that he had been avoiding the swordsman's company, and looked uncomfortably at the ground. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the other man walked away, and Sanji was grateful for the solitude.

"Sanji-kun?"

His dark thoughts all but left him as he looked up to find Nami standing beside him. He silently cursed Zoro, since he knew it to be the distraction of the swordsman that had prevented him from sensing Nami's lovely approach.

"Yes, Nami-san? What can I do for you? Please ask anything of me at all. Anything that would make you happy."

She looked over his shoulder for a moment, before directing her gaze on him once again. She seemed to have come to some sort of decision at that moment.

"Sanji-kun, can we talk for a minute?"

Sanji's heart threatened to leap from his chest at the request.

"Of course, Nami-san! We can talk about anything you want to, for as long as you would like! Let us talk in the language of lov—"

"Why don't we take a walk?"

His eyes glowed hearts as they started to walk together down towards the beach. He breathed deep, and was tantalized by the sweet intoxicating scent of her perfume. His mind raced as he tried to guess what His Goddess may want to talk about it. Had she finally decided to stop playing her attractively infuriating little game of pretending that she didn't want him? Perhaps her longing had grown too strong, and she could no longer bear turning him awa-

"I wanted to talk about you and Zoro."

Sanji tripped clumsily on the sand.

"Are you alright?" she asked as he stood and hastily brushed the sand from his knees.

"Er, yes, I'm fine, Nami-san. Its adorable of you to ask."

"Oh. Ok. Like I was saying, I wanted to talk to you about Zo—"

"Nami-san! I beg you, isn't there a more pleasant topic we can talk about? Like, perhaps, how your longing has gro—"

"No, Sanji-kun. I want to talk about you and Zoro." she said firmly.

Sanji felt deflated, and it was odd for him to feel so low in Nami's charming presence.

"Of course, if you wish."

"I do. I want to know what's going on between the two of you."

"NOTHING! There is absolutely NOTHING at ALL going on between the two of us!"

Nami looked shocked, and horrified, Sanji realized that he had just screamed at his beautiful navigator. He instantly fell back on his knees, and dropped his head in his hands in shame.

"Naaaami-sannnnn! Please forgive me!" he wailed.

"Yes, yes, its perfectly all right, Sanji-kun." she said as she tried tugging him to his feet. "Just please get up. Now."

It was the thrilling note of command that snapped him from his bout of self-loathing and despair, and he stood up to face her shamefully.

"Nami-san! That was completely inexcusable! Please tell me how I can make up to you my terrible brutish behavior, and once again bathe myself in the exhilarating light of your pleasure."

"Er…"

"Anything! Anything at all!"

"Well, why don't you start by answering my question."

Sanji paused, and was dazzled and defeated by the ravishing look of determination in her eyes.

"Oh, well, what do you mean, Nami-san?"

""I'm asking you to explain to me why things are so strained between you and Zoro. On a ship as small as ours, its not going to go unnoticed. Even Luffy has started to question."

"Luffy?"

She nodded.

Sanji took a long drag on his cigarette and tried to organize his thoughts. How could he explain the reason for the strain between him and the Asshole without revealing the sordid details of the encounter? The last thing he wanted to do was have her so disgusted with what happened in the kitchen when he was mauled by the ape-like moss-brained idiot, that she would be unable to take meals in that room. But, then again, if she was too disturbed to enter the kitchens, then that would mean that Sanji would have to make special trips in order to bring her her meals. Perhaps she would like a special table set up on the rear deck, where the two of them could dine together away from prying eyes (because he could not bear the thought of her having to eat alone merely because the swordsman had developed some sort of weird uncontrollable groping issue). Or, perhaps, she would feel more comfortable in her own cabin. Maybe, she would like to have meals served to her in bed—

"Sanji-kun? You're drooling around your cigarette. And you're stalling."

"Oh, sorry, Nami-san. Um, I'm not really sure how to explain. The idiot and I merely had a disagreement. It happens all the time, I assure you."

"Sanji-kun, I have seen arguments between you and Zoro. There is screaming and fighting, and stuff gets broken. Lots of stuff. Sometimes expensive stuff."

Sanji had the good grace to look down and blush.

"But, this is different. I—I don't like to see a rift in my nakama."

Sanji looked up at that, and Nami looked so sincere, that it nearly broke his heart. She smiled at him a little sadly.

"Please, whatever is going on, work it out in whatever way you have to. There are things more important than arguments."

"Of course, Nami-san. Your wisdom makes you even more enchanting."

She giggled softly, and rolled her eyes. Then, her expression turned stern.

"And, when you finally do work this out between you two, just remember that you'll have to pay triple on whatever gets broken!"

"Yes, Nami-san!"

TBC